


emergency contact

by ahmackalak



Category: A3! (Anime), A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Found Family, Gen, Humor, but they are all babies, everyone else is full of heart and dumb of ass, tsuzuru is the only responsible one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahmackalak/pseuds/ahmackalak
Summary: While the Summer Troupe is away on their summer training camp, Tsuzuru gets a call from Masumi and Sakuya's school. It's not his fault that adopting his friends is a reflex.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru & Minagi Tsuzuru
Comments: 4
Kudos: 72





	emergency contact

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Calculatrice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calculatrice/gifts).



> this is a christmas gift for [Calc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calculatrice/pseuds/Calculatrice)! merry crisis, u mean the world to me and i'm so glad we're friends <3 you've made this year not shitty, despite everything, so i hope you like the fic and have a good rest of your holiday!
> 
> (also ty roma for beta reading!)

It’s a phone call from an unknown number that startles Tsuzuru awake from his nap on the couch, causing him to flail onto the floor with a soft _thump_. As he scrambles for his phone, Itaru raises an eyebrow from his perch on the armchair.

“You all right there?” he asks, completely sincere. Or, at least, Tsuzuru thinks it’s sincere.

Tsuzuru gives an answering grunt before picking up, offering a harried greeting still raspy from sleep.

“Am I speaking to a Mr. Tsuzuru?” The voice on the line sounds put out.

“Uh, yes, that’s me! Can I help you?”

“You’re listed as the emergency contacts for both Sakuya Sakuma and Masumi Usui – their parents didn’t answer the phone, so I was told to call you. They got into a fight with some other students today.”

Tsuzuru immediately shoots up, all traces of sleepiness gone. “W- _what_?! I – okay, where are they? Are they alright?” His brotherly instincts shoot through him like a familiar kind of panic, reminding him of the time his youngest sibling fell off his bike and cried.

Itaru sits up straight, mild alarm creasing his usually nonchalant expression. Tsuzuru is already pulling on his shoes and coat as the tinny voice through the phone clears their throat and sighs.

“Yes, they’re fine. Just a couple of bruises – our school nurse has given them the okay to go home for the rest of the day. Could you come pick them up, please?”

“Of course, I’m on my way!” Before Tsuzuru can fly out the door, a hand on his shoulder stops him.

Itaru’s face is calm, but there’s a very faint line of stress that hardens his features. “I can drive. Wait a second.” He pulls on his coat over his work clothes and they’re out the door.

The drive to Sakuya and Masumi’s high school is understandably tense, Tsuzuru rattling off directions from his phone as Itaru weaves through traffic.

“…a fight? Are you serious?” Itaru’s bewildered expression mirrors Tsuzuru’s own.

“Yeah! I just – what could they _possibly_ get into a fight about? Sakuya’s one of the sweetest kids I know! Masumi is…well…”

“Ah. Yep, that’s probably it.” Itaru nods to himself, and Tsuzuru grimaces. “Masumi seems like the type of kid to get into a fight or two.”

“More like he would get punched for saying something rude,” Tsuzuru grumbles, then sighs. “If that’s what happened, I won’t be surprised, now that I think about it. But _Sakuya_?”

“Nah, there’s no way. He probably just got dragged into it.”

Tsuzuru nods, rubbing his forehead to will away the headache he could feel forming. For the time being, he ignores the slight swell in his chest at the fact that he’s listed as the younger boys’ emergency contact. It’s definitely troubling that their parents are absent enough that they’re not listed – Tsuzuru remembers the hesitance and worry creasing Izumi’s face when she called them as the troupe first moved in, mirroring his own when he found out Masumi didn’t have any siblings.

Next to his hesitance and concern, there’s a certain warmth and a fragile softness sitting at the back of his mind.

_They trust me to be their emergency contact?_

It wasn’t unreasonable – Tsuzuru recognizes that he’s pretty responsible, after taking care of his brothers for so long. But he was still touched that Sakuya and Masumi both felt comfortable enough with him to be listed.

Although…

Tsuzuru turns his head towards Itaru, squinting. His fingers tap out an unsteady rhythm on the steering wheel, his eyes glancing around the road a little anxiously.

_Why wouldn’t they list Itaru? He’s older, and actually has a job and a car. So…_

Whatever train of thought Tsuzuru was approaching was cut short – they had reached the high school. It was decorated with banners and stalls outside.

“…they got in a fight at their school festival?” Itaru let out a chuckle. “Being in high school sounds a lot spicier than I remember.”

“Wh – Itaru, you’re twenty-three. You’re not even old.”

“Says you, you fetus.”

“I’m _eighteen_!” Tsuzuru huffs out a sigh. “Maybe you just think it’s spicy because you’re a hermit.”

“Hey, I was cool in high school!” Itaru protests as he parked the car.

“Uh-huh, I believe you.” Tsuzuru rolls his eyes in response, a smile playing on the edge of his features.

They continue bickering lightheartedly as they approach the school’s main office, surrounded by high schoolers excitingly chattering around them. It’s odd to walk the halls of a high school as an ‘adult,’ since Tsuzuru’s graduated. The high school of his memories seems a little less bright and colorful than he’s seeing, but that might just be the brightly colored stalls outside of the classrooms. Ah, the rose-tinted glasses of hindsight.

Tsuzuru hears a little bit of conversation as a few students briskly walk past.

“So, which one did you think was better?”

“I mean, I _really_ like Masumi’s acting, but like, you kind of have to admit that the other play was a little more put-together. Like, they had really good set pieces and everything.”

Tsuzuru tugs on Itaru’s sleeve, only to find that he was also eavesdropping on the students’ conversation. He shrugs his shoulders before swinging open the door to the office.

Tsuzuru steps forward, again struck with the oddness of the situation – he’s like a parent coming to get their noisy kids, only he’s eighteen coming to pick up two fellow children that are barely younger than him.

_Itaru’s at least sort of an adult. I wonder why they didn’t list him._

“Uh, hi, I’m here to pick up Sakuya Sakuma and Masumi Usui?” Tsuzuru asks, timidly leaning over the front desk.

The secretary behind the counter looks surprised, lowering her glasses slightly to look Tsuzuru up and down.

“Can I see some ID?”

“Oh, of course.” Tsuzuru hurriedly pulls it out, pressing it into her doubting hand. She looks behind him at Itaru, dressed in a suit and tie, which seems to put her a little more at ease.

“I’ll go grab them, if you want to take a seat.” She sighs, rubbing the back of her head. “I don’t understand children these days – they’re usually good students, so there won’t be any marks against them for now, but make sure you give them a good talking-to.”

“O-of course, ma’am.” The honorific made her twist her head back around, giving him a bewildered expression before turning back around to one of the back rooms of the office.

“…ma’am?” Itaru was clearly stifling a laugh behind his hand.

“W-what?! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t call her that too!”

“No, it’s just you sound so awkward saying it. _Ma’am._ ” Itaru gives a delighted grin. “Like I said, you’re a baby.”

“A respectful baby, at least,” Tsuzuru grumbles.

The woman comes back with a sheepish looking Sakuya and Masumi following her – Masumi has a purpling shiner around his eye, and Sakuya’s lip looks swollen.

“They’re all yours.” The woman nods to them before returning to her desk.

“…uh, hi guys.” Sakuya gives a little wave, and Masumi awkwardly scratches the back of his neck.

Tsuzuru just sighs, and beckons them forward. “Come on, we’ll talk about it on our way home.”

Sakuya sighs and slumps forward to follow Tsuzuru, Masumi trailing close behind with an unreadable expression on his face.

The walk to the car is silent, broken only when everyone’s seated and buckled in. Itaru idles for a moment before he and Tsuzuru turn around to face the two sulky boys behind them.

“So. You gonna tell us what happened, or…?”

“We – got in a fight. With some people from another class.” Sakuya says, looking uncomfortable and shifting in his seat without making eye contact.

“…why?” Tsuzuru remains calm and collected, the perfect picture of an older brother.

Masumi suddenly sits up straight. “They said our class play sucked and we couldn’t act. So I said they were too ugly to be on stage anyways.”

Itaru immediately chokes on a guffaw, completely unhindered and shaking with mirth. “Y…you did _what?!_ ” he asks before dissolving into further giggles.

“Stop that.” Tsuzuru smacks Itaru’s shoulder, doing his best to keep a grin from breaking through his strict façade. Itaru brushes his hand off before calming himself down, taking some breaths peppered with further huffs of laughter.

“So…you called him ugly.” Tsuzuru can hear Itaru losing it behind him all over again. “What happened.”

“…he punched me in the face.” Masumi has the decency to look at least a little ashamed, bowing his head slightly.

Tsuzuru nods. _Knew it._

“And you, Sakuya?”

“W-well I saw him getting punched! And I couldn’t just leave him to fight for himself. I’ve gotta look out for him.”

“No you _don’t_.” Masumi just sounds petulant now, and even though he’s just being a standoffish little jerk, Tsuzuru has to smother the nostalgic fondness that squeezes his heart.

“Yes I do! I’m like your older brother now!” Sakuya pouts, clenching his fists.

_All little brothers really do act the same, I guess._

Tsuzuru has to cover his mouth to hide his growing smile, and interrupts Masumi’s smart-aleck response. “Hey now, it’s fine. As long as you guys are okay. You’re lucky Izumi’s away with the summer troupe right now.”

Both boys immediately brighten. “You’re not going to tell the director?” Sakuya asks, more than a little relieved. Tsuzuru can hear Masumi let out a definite sigh of relief. Itaru, who has finally managed to put a lid on his amusement, shoots Tsuzuru a questioning look.

“Nah, I won’t rat you out. But you should tell her on your own when she gets back.”

Like a deflated balloon, the two sag into their seats. “…fine,” Masumi says, shifting to look out the window.

“Good. I’m gonna make fun of you two for this forever now, though.”

“Hey, we tried our best! Considering they were taller and stronger than us, I think we did pretty well!” Sakuya attempts to defend their stance, Masumi chiming in with a muttered ‘I got one of them, at least.’

“Oh, sure, I’m sure your combined weight of one hundred pounds really did a number on them.” Itaru chuckles as he pulls out of their parking space.

The tension in the car dissipates with an almost tangible feeling, its occupants rowdier and more lighthearted as they head home. Before they can leave the car, Tsuzuru makes Sakuya and Masumi _promise_ that they won’t get into any more stupid fights.

“And you’ll tell Izumi about what happened, alright? She worries about you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Masumi waves Tsuzuru off as he and Sakuya enter the house, following the scent of whatever’s being prepared for lunch. Itaru is about to follow them when Tsuzuru puts a hand on his shoulder right outside the door.

“Hey. This might be a weird question, but do you know why Sakuya and Tsuzuru listed me as their emergency contact?” he asks.

Itaru pauses before turning around to face Tsuzuru. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re older. And you have a car, and money, and could actually take care of them if something happened. Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad they did, and I’m glad you were here to drive me over there, but…”

Itaru snorts softly, flipping his hair out of his face. “Actually, they did ask me if they could, at first. But I told them to put you down instead.”

Tsuzuru’s hand drops from Itaru’s shoulder, a pensive expression on his face. “…why?”

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? You’re a much better pseudo-older brother than I am right now. I mean, you’re even not telling Izumi about it. That seems pretty brotherly to me.” Itaru says it matter-of-factly, like he was talking about the color of the sky or the time of day.

Tsuzuru is silent, and Itaru uncomfortably clears his throat.

“I’m not saying that in a self-deprecating way or anything. I mean, objectively you have more experience being responsible than I do. And I’m –” Itaru pauses, scratching his nose. “I’m working on it, definitely. I’m figuring it out, I’m learning how to be reliable. But, I don’t think I’m there yet. I’m not ‘emergency contact’ responsible yet, that is. So,” he cleared his throat again, “I figure I should just. Wait for a bit and learn from you first.”

Tsuzuru grins, broadly and genuinely. “Who’s a baby now?”

“Oh, come off it,” Itaru says, his mirroring smile betraying his exasperated tone. “You get an accounting job and pay taxes, and _then_ maybe you’ll be an adult.”

He swings the door to the house open, already shouting inside to see what food there is. Tsuzuru takes a moment to just look inside the house – at Citron concerned and bustling to get Sakuya and Masumi ice packs, and Sakuya profusely apologizing for the trouble. At Masumi opening the fridge and pulling out some orange juice, and Itaru sneaking a bite of whatever was cooking on the stove. It smelled suspiciously of curry.

He breathes, for a moment. This was their little ragtag group – the little family he grew into instead of growing up in. It’s one he chose, and he couldn’t be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> SIKE yall thought this was a cute found family fic w nice fun brotherly dynamics? it was actually an excuse for masumi to get punched, get fucked you little shit. i love u <3
> 
> tysm for reading!


End file.
